Amphibians

What is an amphibian? An amphibian is an animal that spends part of its life underwater and part on land. When amphibians are underwater, they breathe with gills. When they are on land, they breathe with lungs. They are cold-blooded. This means that their body temperature changes depending on the temperature around them.

There are three different kinds of amphibians. The first group is newts and salamanders. These animals are about three inches long. They have four legs and four “fingers” on each leg. They are red-orange and transform to the color green.

The second type is frogs and toads. Frogs and toads are very similar. Toads have a warty back and spend less time in the water. They eat insects and other small animals. Frogs begin as tadpoles. They spend time close to the water so that they can lay their eggs.

The last group is caecilians. These are worm-like creatures. Millions of years ago, there were other types of amphibians, but they are now extinct.